


Bearings

by intellexual_asexual



Series: Ego Short Stories [28]
Category: Markiplier TV (Web Series)
Genre: :), Angst, Angst and Tragedy, Minor Character Death, Offscreen character death, also sorry if its a little choppyish i hat to start and stop a few times, and i wanted to make it as perfect as it could be, because this was one of those fic ideas that ive been sitting on for a while kjfhgfj, but yeah someone dies and its sad and everyone is sad, headcanon that dark basically acts like an uncaring but secretly caring dad, i am so sorry for shoveling angst fics down your throats guys, idk im not too good at writing overly sad scenes, its the only thing im motivated to write rn oof, no beta we die like actor mark, uh oh here come sad tags, um uh
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-10
Updated: 2021-03-10
Packaged: 2021-03-17 06:36:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,005
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29962398
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/intellexual_asexual/pseuds/intellexual_asexual
Summary: Mark Bop Arrives and meets the rest of his new family, but Dark can't help but feel like something is going to go wrong.
Series: Ego Short Stories [28]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2106381
Comments: 1
Kudos: 7





	Bearings

**Author's Note:**

> Uh oh! Guess who forgot that Dark's backstory and redesign came out months AFTER Markiplier TV?!?! It's too late now, though, I've already written this out with the current Dark and I don't want to rewrite all of this.  
> (Oh man I feel so smart or coming up with the title kekekekeke)

_ Another _ one.  _ Another  _ fucking Iplier. Darkiplier was going to have a talk with Mark Fischbach, and one of these days he was going to learn to listen.

Dark watched carefully as Bingiplier introduced the newest addition, Mark Bop, to the rest of the house. Mark Bop had shown up unexpectedly and at midnight. None of the Ipliers expected for the fans to latch onto him, but they supposed anything was possible. Bing had been the one to find him, and he was the only one able to understand him. Mark Bop spoke… strangely. If Dark could recall correctly, his speech sounded similar to that of Sims characters.

But the communication barrier didn’t hinder Mark Bop’s enthusiastic attitude at all. He practically bounced from person to person this morning, with Bing translating beside him.  _ Good God, another energetic one. Couldn’t Fischbach make any calmer egos? _

“Doop bop boop!”

“He said it’s nice to meet you, brah.”

Dark narrowed his eyes at Mark Bop. Mark Bop didn’t flinch or look away as Dark’s aura swirled around him. He wasn’t intimidated.

Dark folded his hands behind his back. “It’s a pleasure to meet you as well. I am Darkiplier, the head of household. Put one toe out of line and I  _ will _ kick you out.”

Bing shook their head. “Dude, stop trying to scare the new guy. We talked about that.”

Dark made no indication that he heard the android. Bing had only Arrived a month or so ago, and Dark had no reason to listen to him. Instead of apologizing for ‘scaring’ Mark Bop, Dark said, “Has he met everyone now?”

Mark Bop nodded. “Ba da bop bodda ba!”

“He said yeah and everyone was pretty cool. Should we start looking for his room?” 

Dark raised his eyebrows. “You haven’t shown him his room yet?”

Bing inhaled sharply, and Dark dreaded whatever excuse was going to fly out of their mouth. “Well, uh, you see, we didn’t, um, find one…?”

Dark was more curious than angry. Why didn’t Mark Bop have a bedroom yet? Dark was sure that the minute someone new Arrives, the Manor creates a new space for them. Perhaps Mark Bop was an exception, since he Arrived so late and all.

But then why wasn’t there a room ready for him now? Maybe Bing checked last night instead of this morning. “When did you last look, Bing?”

“Like, ten minutes ago, brah!”

“Boop beep!”

Dark frowned. This was starting to be suspicious. “Alright. For now, until that room appears, you will be sleeping on one of the couches in our living room. I apologize.”

Mark Bop just smiled and shook his head, and Dark was grateful that this new ego wasn’t as uncompromising as some of the others. Bing led Mark Bop off to do God knows what, and as they left Bing frowned over his shoulder at Dark. Dark shook his head. They would tell Mark Bop about their problem later.

Right now, Dark needed to talk to the Host.

Host usually knew these things, with his future visions and all. Dark knew the blind man didn’t like to use it on purpose a lot, but this was important. It was a short walk to Host’s office, and Dark didn’t need to knock as he heard Host say, “Darkiplier is granted access to the Host’s office space.”

Dark opened the door. Host was sitting in his desk chair, but he wasn’t typing away or writing down notes. He was facing Dark. It seems that he had been expecting him to come by.

Host smiled. “Why has Darkiplier come to see the Host this morning?”

Dark closed the door and said, “You know why, Host. You always do.”

Host stopped smiling, turning back to his work as he said, “The Host is unsure whether Darkiplier is referring to why he’s here or why the newest Iplier doesn’t have a bedroom yet. The Host, regardless, knows both.

“The Host knows that Darkiplier is here to ask him why Mark Bop does not have a bedroom. The Host knows Mark Bop does not have a room yet because… because...”

Blood dripped down Host’s face as his voice went down to a whisper. “He is going to fade. Mark Bop is going to fade tomorrow.”

Dark blinked. What? That quickly? “Host, perhaps—”

Host whipped back around and said, “Mark Bop is going to Fade tomorrow! There is nothing the Ipliers can do to stop it!”

The blood was flowing from Host’s sockets now, and Dark tried not to think about how that was basically his version of tears. He couldn’t believe it. The fanbase liked Mark Bop, and they were going to abandon him so soon? What kind of monsters were they?

Dark didn’t say anything as he left Host’s office in a puff of smoke, teleporting to his own office to think.

He felt that he was responsible for keeping the Ipliers safe. He felt that he was responsible for making sure they were all alive and well at the end of each day. His siblings, no matter how smart or how trained, needed to be protected, and Dark did his best to provide that. Dark wouldn’t be able to do that for Mark Bop.

Mark Bop was going to die. He was going to die and there was nothing Dark could do to stop it. There was nothing any of his siblings could do to stop it.

Dark, theoretically, could contact the Septics. Maybe one of them had a spell for immortality? 

But Dark didn’t call them. He knew that death wasn’t something you could prevent, no matter how hard you tried. And he had tried, and they regretted what had happened as a result.

Damien and Celine would not stop wailing in the back of Dark’s mind. He understood their pain, and he wanted so badly to just sit in his office and let it all out, but he had things to do. He had people to take care of.

Dark was done thinking. He opted to walk instead of teleport out of his office, deciding to spend time with his new sibling before his end.

~ ꕤꕤꕤꕤꕤ ~

Dark found him and Bing skateboarding outside. Mark Bop was surprisingly good at it, and Dark smiled as the two of them high fived in midair.

“Yo! The old man  _ can _ smile! Bop, he doesn’t normally do that, you must be special, dude.”

Oh, if only they knew. “What are you two doing out here?”

“Skateboarding, duh.” Bing went back to riding his skateboard, and Dark was reminded that they act exactly like a teenager.

Dark rolled his eyes but didn’t say anything. He continued to watch Bing, and he noticed that Mark Bop was still stopped. He was staring at Dark with his eyebrows scrunched together.

“Go on. Don’t mind me, I’m just… observing.”

Even though Dark had dismissed him, Mark Bop walked closer and held out his skateboard.

“Bop!”

Mark Bop grinned, and Dark looked from the skateboard to Mark Bop a few times before saying, “Do you… want  _ me _ to skate?”

Mark Bop nodded. Dark really did not want to do this and make a fool of himself. But he decided to humor Mark Bop since… you know.

Dark hesitantly took the skateboard from Mark Bop and placed it on the ground. He looked at Mark Bop as he placed one foot on the skateboard. “Like this?”

“Boop bop!” Mark Bop nodded again and made a motion with his foot, almost like he was pawing at the ground. Dark tried it himself and found out that was how you gained speed on the board. Dark beamed, and was too busy revelling in his small victory to pay attention to his other surroundings. Dark crashed into one of the garden benches, landing in a prickly bush.

Dark quickly got out of the bush and brushed his suit off. He looked up to see Mark Bop doubled over laughing with Bing standing beside him, no doubt rewatching the video he had just recorded. Dark sighed and shook his head, picking up the skateboard and returning it to it’s owner.

At least now he knew that Mark Bop had experienced some happiness before he died.

~ ꕤꕤꕤꕤꕤ ~

The next day arrived, and Dark didn’t leave his office. Host never specified what time in the day Mark Bop was going to Fade. He didn’t want to be out there when it happened, when the others blamed him for this.

It was around three o’clock when Dark heard Bing’s first sobs. He had purposefully turned his volume up, it seemed, to get someone to help. There was nothing anyone could do, so Dark continued working. He would let Dr. Iplier handle it, while he sat in his office chair and waited.

It was around four o’clock when someone came to tell him the news. Of course it had to be Bing.

Bing looked so tired. And angry. “D-Dark.”

Dark looked up from his paperwork, pushing it aside as he gave Bing his full attention. “Bing.”

Bing stood in front of Dark’s desk. He had Mark Bop's hat in his hands. They didn’t speak for the longest time. 

“You knew.”

Dark did not reply. He looked at Bing sadly, hoping it came across as genuine. It apparently didn’t.

“Was that why y-you came outside yesterday? You kn-knew, and you didn’t t-tell us. Y-You didn’t tell me. ...Why, Dark?”

Dark wanted nothing more than for Bing to yell at him. For Bing to tell him to fix this, that it could be fixed. For Bing to ask something, anything, other than ‘why.’ But he didn’t, and Dark was forced to tell the truth.

Dark looked Bing directly in the eyes. He just now noticed that their sunglasses had been taken off. “I did not want him spending all of his time here preparing for his end. As for not telling you… you don’t keep secrets well, Bing.”

Bing was finally at his breaking point. “I wouldn’t’ve ****ing told Bop that! I would’ve kept that to myself, old man, and tried to make him happy! I wouldn’t ****ing let him do that! You could’ve at least ****ing told  _ me _ , you knew how close we were, what the **** is your problem?! But  _ no _ , I had to learn from **** Doc what Fading is. When the **** were we gonna have that conversation, huh? Was I just gonna ****ing die without knowing why?! What if someone else died, Dark, what if someone else Faded and I didn’t know what… what the **** was happening?”

Dark watched as Bing tried to wipe his tears away. They were holographic, so they stayed when he put his hand down. “Bing—”

Bing covered his face with one hand, the hand not holding his friend's hat, and Dark could tell he was trying hard not to burst back into tears. Bing uncovered their face and gave a shaky sigh. 

“I can’t believe you didn’t at least tell Doc. I thought you knew what it was like to lose someone you love.”

Bing left, and Dark was left alone in his office. He did know what it was like to lose someone. He knew what it felt like. He was feeling it now. What was Dark trying to accomplish by not telling anyone about Mark Bop? Saying something would have given Bing an opportunity to prepare, an opportunity to accept what was coming. Now Dark had ruined that, and Bing was sure to never forgive him. 

Bing was sure to never forgive him. The others may never forgive him. He had failed them and himself by not protecting Mark Bop, by sitting in his office all day like a  _ coward _ . He was a _coward_ for not at least trying to stop the Fading process. He was a _coward_ for not allowing Bing to know about it. He was a _coward_ for showing him just how uncaring he could become.

Dark placed his elbows on his desk, his head in his hands, and he cried.

**Author's Note:**

> Kekekekeke I promise that I will write some fluff later. I feel like that's a sort of aftercare for you guys. I post an angst fic, leaving you in emotional turmoil, and a few hours later I solve all your problems by giving you Soft!Anti or something khdjfsgsal.  
> Also also, guess who remembered when Mark announced his discontinuation of the Cyndago characters? :). But I won't torture you guys with that story today. Maybe tomorrow, though.  
> As always, make sure to leave a comment if you liked this work, and don't be afraid to request another!


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